This post was originally published on this site
Long live the red envelope.
This morning Netflix shipped out its final DVD closing a chapter that began 25 years ago with a copy of Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice.”
The company penned a note to customers thanking them for being a part of this journey.
“It’s the endof an era, but the DVD business built our foundation for the years to come – giving members unprecedented choice and control, a wide variety of titles to choose from and the freedom to watch as much as they want,” the company said.
The note was accompanied by a video montage showing the journey of the company’s DVD division.
“DVDs will forever be in our DNA,” reads a billboard from the company.
For those shocked by the news, this isn’t exactly new. Back in April, CEO Ted Sarandos made the announcement.
“After an incredible 25 year run, we’ve decided to wind down DVD.com later this year,” Sarandos penned. “Our goal has always been to provide the best service for our members but as the business continues to shrink that’s going to become increasingly difficult. So we want to go out on a high, and will be shipping our final discs on September 29, 2023.”
“To everyone who ever added a DVD to their queue or waited by the mailbox for a red envelope to arrive: thank you.”
As you can imagine, revenue from this side of the company dwindled significantly, shrinking from $1 billion in revenue in 2012 to $146 million in 2022, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
If you’re a little melancholy by this news, Netflix has something for you.
For $50, you can “tuck yourself in like a DVD” with an envelope-inspired sleeping bag.
Suggest a Correction
